SEVEN DECISIONS THAT SHAPED VICTORY

Behind the scenes in some of the controversial decisions dating back to the span of events in the Roosevelt administration and forward to the Potsdam conference. In Welles' close association with President Roosevelt, in his place as third segment of a triangle which included Secretary Hull in his ""offstage post"" as informed observer, he has been singularly conditioned to present just such a report as this. He is an analyst and interpreter of international events, a staunch admirer of Roosevelt although he had the courage to differ with him, and Welles believes that distortion and malevolence today could well damage the basic conception for which Roosevelt stood. He explains convincingly the factors behind the recognition of Vichy France. He is enlightening in his report on the South American issue in which Roosevelt backed him against Hull. He clarifies what seemed our soft policy towards Japan. He discusses the efforts to organize the allies into a world group before the war's end- the opposing factors- the reasons for some of the concessions to Russia. He is openly critical of some of the decisions and the antagonisms within the group of key personalities. All in all a book that should be read as part of an overall study of international policy of the U.S. Not always easy reading but important historically.